ForumsWEPRIs it OK to teach evolution in public schools?

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shortstopkid123
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shortstopkid123
20 posts
Nomad

Many parents argue about schools teaching evolution. Creationalists do not support or believe in the theory of evolution. It goes against their beliefs. They do not believe it should be taught because it apposes many peoples' beliefs. Do you think that it should be taught?

Notes:
Lets try not point out certain religions. I am saying creationalists for a reason.

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Kasic
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Kasic
5,557 posts
Jester

It is basically going against the freedom of religion.


Religion has nothing to do with facts or science, sorry. Nor is any religion being oppressed by evolution being taught.

I mean the parents don't want their kids to believe something that the kid doesn't believe.


You don't get to choose what is an is not "real" in the world, unlike with religion. Unless you can show proof that evolution is not real (you'd probably win the Nobel Prize) you have no reason to protest it being taught in school.
EmperorPalpatine
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EmperorPalpatine
9,444 posts
Jester

I'm just saying that it hasn't been fully proved


As others have stated earlier,
"A theory in science is the closest to proof you can get short of mathematical fact."
Theories don't grow up to be facts. Gravity, cell theory, germ theory, relativity, etc are "still just theories".

If they taught about both evolution and creation then let the kid pick what they believe

Which version(s) of creation? Judeo-Christian? Norse? Greek? Native American? Egyptian? They're all equally groundless.

Well the parents don't want their kids to believe Evolution, since it goes against what their religion says.

If their religion were true, what would they have to fear? Would it not brightly shine through?
Kasic
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Kasic
5,557 posts
Jester

Well the parents don't want their kids to believe Evolution, since it goes against what their religion says.


That's nice. Doesn't have anything to do with the fact that evolution -is- fact and that all the kids, including those whose parent's don't want them to learn evolution, are there for knowledge.

Also Evolution is a scientific theory.


Yes it is. So is gravity.

And didn't they say something about those "Missing Links"


The term missing link is a misnomer, a very misleading one. It assumes that there are a, definite points of change during speciation (there aren't) b, that all transitional forms of all animals will have left fossils, and c, that we have found every fossil that exists.

Tl:dr, missing links are things Creationists who don't understand evolution love to talk about that only makes them look silly.

I'm just saying that it hasn't been fully proved,


Yes, it has. That's why over 99.99% of the scientific community accepts evolution as fact. I'm NOT exaggerating when I say over 99.99%. It literally is that much. Only the die-hard creationists in the science world who assume that the literal interpretation of the bible is right, and thus evolution wrong, say otherwise.

Yes but the scientific lesson goes against what the religion says so technically it is being oppressed.


That's bull. Religion isn't being oppressed because factual information is being taught. That's like arguing that a lie is truth and that you're being malicious by pointing out the lie.

If they taught about both evolution and creation then let the kid pick what they believe it would be fair though.


Evolution and Creationism ARE NOT EQUAL in views. Creationism is not science. It has no proof. It has many different forms. It does not belong in science class.
Squidbears
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Squidbears
627 posts
Nomad

Yes, it has. That's why over 99.99% of the scientific community accepts evolution as fact. I'm NOT exaggerating when I say over 99.99%. It literally is that much. Only the die-hard creationists in the science world who assume that the literal interpretation of the bible is right, and thus evolution wrong, say otherwise.

Thought I'd provide a source to this claim
[url=http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_support_for_evolution#section_1]
I'd also just like to say that the notion of evolution not being taught in schools is completely ridiculous.
Devoidless
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Devoidless
3,678 posts
Jester

Yes but the scientific lesson goes against what the religion says so technically it is being oppressed.

Are you really talking about religion, science and oppression in the same sentence in that context? Oh boy. I can almost taste the irony.

I'm just saying that it hasn't been fully proved,

Read a good majority of the previous page. That ought to make things clear. If not, then the case is hopeless.

If they taught about both evolution and creation then let the kid pick what they believe it would be fair though.

So should we allow kids and parents to decide that 'science' which adheres strictly to the beliefs of Pastafarianism is a valid choice? So it would be fine to teach young, impressionable minds that The Flying Spaghetti Monster holds everything down to earth with its infinite strands of pasta?
No, yeah. You're right. That sounds totally legit. Nothing wrong with that.
Kasic
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Kasic
5,557 posts
Jester

Link Fix

You forgot the [/url] and the words between the ] [ brackets.

MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
9,470 posts
Farmer

Well that's like a school telling you that you must be "Liberal" or "Conservative". It is basically going against the freedom of religion. (Note: LIberal and Conservative aren't religions, I'm just giving an example) I mean the parents don't want their kids to believe something that the kid doesn't believe.


If a belief is threatened by facts I have to wonder just how worth while that belief is.

Also Evolution is a scientific theory.


For the umpteenth time theory doesn't mean wild guess. It has been verified many times by different people independent of each other.

Theory; A scientific explanation of related observations or events based on hypotheses and verified multiple times by different independent researchers.

Is there a reason why this explanation and definition is being constantly and blatantly ignored?
Kasic
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Kasic
5,557 posts
Jester

Is there a reason why this explanation and definition is being constantly and blatantly ignored?


I think it's the same reason as to why Creationists cite missing links, lack of evidence, spontaneous generation, the Big Bang theory, animals changing species in one generation and more as evidence against evolution. They have a basic, fundamental misunderstanding of scientific processes, don't attempt to look at the facts, and have been fed false information about the topic by those who believe similar things as they do. It's one large grouping of the ignorant and biased reaffirming each other's flawed stance and then plugging their ears and shouting when someone argues with them.
Getoffmydangle
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Getoffmydangle
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Blacksmith

Well the parents don't want their kids to believe Evolution, since it goes against what their religion says. Also Evolution is a scientific theory. And didn't they say something about those "Missing Links"


2 things: some people clearly shouldn't be having kids, and its time to stop listening to "they"
MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
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Farmer

And didn't they say something about those "Missing Links"


To that I ask you what "Missing Links"?

"A decade ago, Kathleen Hunt, a zoologist with the University of Washington, produced a list of a few hundred of the more dramatic transitional species known so far, all of which definitely fit every criteria required of the most restrictive definition. Myriad transitional species have been, and still are being, discovered; so many in fact that lots of biologists and paleontologists now consider that list âinnumerableâ especially since the tally of definite transitionals keeps growing so fast! Several lineages are now virtually complete, including our own.

âBy the way, the missing link? Itâs still missing!â

No it isnât. Hasnât been for a long time now. There was a missing link in 1859 when there were only two species of humans yet known in the fossil record, and no intermediate fossils to link them with any of the other apes we knew of at that time. Since then, weâve found the fossils of thousands of individuals of dozens of hominid species, many of which provide a definite link to the other apes. But there were two particular pieces predicted to complete the puzzle:

First, it was never supposed that we evolved from any ape species still alive today. Instead the theory held that chimpanzees and humans were sibling species, daughters of the same mother. So the first link we needed to find was an ancient ape apparently basal to either of us â"to prove there was a potential progenitor of both groups. We had already found that link in Europe five years before Darwin went public. So we already had an evident âchainâ of transitional species from which only one more âlinkâ was needed.

The theory then required that another extinct hominid be found in strata chronologically between the Miocene Dryopithecus fontana and the earliest known human species, which from 1891 to 1961, was Homo erectus. Weâve found lots of candidates, as many as fifty species of apes which are now all extinct. But more than that, the theory also demanded that we find one âhalf-wayâ between humans and other apes in terms of morphology. We found exactly that too way back in 1974. Australopithecus afarensis proved to be a fully bi-pedal ape whoâs hands, feet, teeth, pelvis, skull, and other physical details were exactly what creationists challenged us to find, yet theyâre still pretending we never found it.

But worse than that, we didnât just find that one. In 1977, three years after we discovered the no-longer-missing link in the human evolutionary lineage, Harvard paleontologist, Stephen J. Gould mentioned an âextreme rarityâ of other clear transitions persistent in the fossil record âtil that time, and his comment, -taken out of context- remains a favorite of creationist quote-miners to this day. But in the more than 30 years since then, there has been a paleontological boon such that we now have way more transitional species in many more lineages than we ever needed or hoped for.
" -AronRa (The 9th foundational falsehood of Creationism)
P0rchm0nkey
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P0rchm0nkey
5 posts
Nomad

I reckon if you take God out you can do what ever you want right? After all everyone says us Christians are wrong and nuts, lmao, yeah and my uncle was a frigin monkey

pangtongshu
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pangtongshu
9,815 posts
Jester

lmao, yeah and my uncle was a frigin monkey


I'm assuming you are either

a) A troll
or
B) Completely ignorant on the subject of evolution
HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,254 posts
Regent

I reckon if you take God out you can do what ever you want right?

You're saying this as if christianism was the normal state and everything outside it is chaos. Actually it's somewhat the inverse; teaching evolution teaches observable facts, and christianism just throw it's beliefs in everywhere. (Note that a belief is a belief because it is not a fact, and that school should teach facts and leave beliefs to the individuals)

yeah and my uncle was a frigin monkey

Nope. He was an ape, like you and me are.
MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
9,470 posts
Farmer
Mickeyryn
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Mickeyryn
276 posts
Shepherd

Hahiha said:

Nope, he was an ape, like you and me
.
Wrong, Hahiha, you are a penguin.

You are not an ape, you are a penguin.

Long answer to this whole topic: I believe that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and Our Father, God, created Heaven and Earth, and all people. America was founded i the believing in God, though of course other religions are excepted.
I don't think public schools should teach this... "evolution" or whatever. Public schools are funded by the government, tax dollars, and the government was founded under God.
No, don't teach this "evolution" public schools, because you are putting shame to America and they are pretty much dissing the constitution and all the "in God we trust" stuff.
Short answer: no.
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